Words and Spelling Tips from 2019 Spell It!
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Words and Spelling Tips from 2019 Spell It! Words from Latin: Study Words inane benefactor ingenious reptile relevant candidate retrospective providence impetuous bugle ominous message ambivalent formidable vulnerable foliate dejected canary omnipotent nasal postmortem subterfuge consensus opera incriminate abdicate discipline renovate access lunatic alleviate credentials plausible carnivore [5] spectrum temporal interrupt [1] gregarious prescription canine alliteration ostentatious capitulation measure refugee prosaic [6] incredulous credible amicable herbivore affinity femininity lucid [2] prodigal necessary confidence percolate magnanimous adjacent triumvirate meticulous benevolent dissect popularity fastidious mercurial conjecture diary trajectory simile imperative humble animosity jovial predicate vivisection implement ridiculous corporal strict ambiguity innate patina prosecute curriculum obstinate Capricorn contiguous omnivorous discern participant ductile bellicose mediocre library gradient electoral insidious cognition current crescent [3] rupture primal perfidy obsequious precipitate filament fidelity transect erudite unity incorruptible precipice colloquial ventilate susceptible intractable aquatic condolences [4] exuberant [7] igneous Words from Latin: Challenge Words soliloquy indigenous precocious egregious accommodate belligerent ameliorate aggregate pernicious [8] vernacular commensurate tertiary efficacy infinitesimal facetious corpuscle visceral recalcitrant prerogative perennial exacerbate innocuous ubiquitous Words and Spelling Tips from 2019 Spell It! Go to myspellit.com for the interactive online version. © 2018 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated 1 Words from Latin: Spelling Tips 1. One of the hardest things to remember about words from Latin is whether an internal consonant (like rr in interrupt) is doubled. To reinforce your memory of the correct spelling, try to remember related words all together (like interrupt along with interruption or necessary along with necessity). 2. The \ü\ sound (as in ooze) is nearly always spelled with u in words from Latin. It typically follows a \d\, \j\, \l\, \r\, or \s\ sound. After other consonants, this sound normally becomes \yü\ (as in bugle, subterfuge, ambiguity, and prosecute and in one pronunciation of refugee). 3. Beware of words like crescent in which the \s\ sound is spelled with sc in words from Latin. Other examples include visceral, discern, discipline, susceptible, and corpuscle. 4. When you hear within a word from Latin the \s\ sound followed by any of the sounds of e (long, short, or schwa), there's a possibility that the \s\ sound is spelled with c as in exacerbate, access, adjacent, condolences, facetious, and necessary. 5. The letter i is a vowel often used to connect two Latin word elements. If the connecting vowel sound is a schwa (\ə\) and you must guess at the spelling of this sound, the letter i might be a good guess: See carnivore and herbivore. Other examples include non–study-list words that end in iform such as oviform and pediform. 6. The letter k rarely appears in words from Latin, and its sound is nearly always represented by c as in canary, prosaic, canine, mediocre, Capricorn, cognition, ductile, incorruptible, vernacular, innocuous, and many other words on the list. 7. The letter x often gets the pronunciation \gz\ in words from Latin (as in exacerbate and exuberant). 8. The combination ious ends many adjectives of Latin origin. When the consonant that precedes ious is c or t, the sound of the final syllable is \shəs\ as in facetious, ostentatious, pernicious, and precocious. It is important to keep in mind that several adjectives from Latin ending with this sound end in eous rather than ious. In such instances, the definitions of the words usually contain phrases such as "consisting of," "resembling," or "having the characteristic of." Examples include non–study–list words herbaceous, cetaceous, and lilaceous. Words and Spelling Tips from 2019 Spell It! Go to myspellit.com for the interactive online version. © 2018 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated 2 Words from Arabic: Study Words azure orange lilac tahini Islamic sequin alcove Qatari sultan macrame massage alkali artichoke algebra henna [5] serendipity mummy [1] guitar alchemy nadir tarragon nabob sugar douane adobe giraffe taj fennec mohair mattress mahal hafiz borax elixir khan azimuth talc saffron ghoul bezoar arsenal cotton Challenge Words halal lemon albatross [3] muslin alim tuna zero camphor Swahili admiral safari [4] algorithm serdab hazard magazine minaret mihrab apricot zenith tamarind salaam carmine alfalfa carafe mukhtar monsoon imam julep khor average mosque marzipan foggara gazelle [2] alcohol nenuphar diffa crimson tariff alcazar coffle Words from Arabic: Spelling Tips 1. Double consonants are often seen in words from Arabic. More often than not, they occur in the middle of a word as in mummy, cotton, henna, foggara, coffle, tarragon, and several other words on the list. Their appearance at the end of a word (as in albatross and tariff) is usually because of the spelling conventions of English or some other language that the word passed through to get here. 2. A typical word from Arabic has three consonant sounds, with or without vowels between them. Gazelle, safari, talc, carafe, mahal, tahini, alkali, hafiz, and salaam are typical examples. 3. Note how many words on this list begin with al: This spelling can be traced to the definite article al ("the") in Arabic, which sometimes gets borrowed along with a word. Most of the time the spelling is al in English, but note el in elixir. 4. A long e sound (\ē\) at the end of a word from Arabic is often spelled with i as in safari and several other words on the list but may also be spelled with y as in mummy and alchemy. 5. The schwa sound (\ə\) at the end of a word from Arabic is usually spelled with a as in henna, tuna, algebra, alfalfa, foggara, and diffa. Words and Spelling Tips from 2019 Spell It! Go to myspellit.com for the interactive online version. © 2018 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated 3 Words from Asian Languages: Study Words cummerbund jackal kama dugong juggernaut dungaree pundit guru pangolin bungalow loot cushy mahatma gunnysack kavya seersucker rupee chutney jiva jungle mongoose karma pandit oolong shampoo jute chintz nirvana typhoon yamen bangle bamboo raj patel Words from Asian Languages: Challenge Words gymkhana gourami charpoy topeng basmati masala durwan tanha gingham raita mahout lahar mandir asana prabhu jnana bhalu batik Buddha Holi Words from French: Study Words peloton denim collage [6] bevel barrage cachet [3] amenable menu chagrin [1] neologism expertise egalitarian pacifism beige matinee quiche [9] manicure diplomat plateau fatigue altruism motif sortie garage bureaucracy suave croquette morgue mascot foyer [4] physique [7] stethoscope parfait clementine elite vogue mystique ambulance deluxe musicale layette [2] rehearse nougat palette boutique leotard rouge [8] flamboyant dressage prairie [5] escargot baton croquet diorama crochet souvenir gorgeous entourage regime impasse denture fuselage doctrinaire finesse mirage boudoir tutu maladroit Words from French: Challenge Words gauche renaissance repertoire protégé rapport chauvinism dossier mélange camouflage recidivist taupe blasé genre chassis poignant fête virgule détente garçon ingenue debacle raconteur croissant rendezvous fusillade [10] mayonnaise [11] ecru saboteur surveillance lieutenant Words and Spelling Tips from 2019 Spell It! Go to myspellit.com for the interactive online version. © 2018 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated 4 Words from French: Spelling Tips 1. French nearly always spells the \sh\ sound with ch, and this spelling of the sound is very common in words from French. Chagrin, chauvinism, and crochet are examples. 2. A word from French ending with a stressed \et\ is usually spelled with ette as in layette and croquette. 3. A long a sound (\ā\) at the end of a word from French can be spelled a number of ways. One of the more common ways is with et as in cachet, croquet, and crochet. 4. One way to spell long a at the end of a word from French is with er as in dossier and in foyer. (Most Americans, however, do not pronounce the ending of foyer with a long a.) 5. A long e sound (\ē\) at the end of a word from French can be spelled with ie as in prairie and sortie. 6. Words ending with an \äzh\ sound are common in French. This sound is spelled age as in collage, mirage, dressage, garage, barrage, camouflage, entourage, and fuselage. 7. A \k\ sound at the end of a word from French is often spelled que as in physique, mystique, and boutique. 8. The \ü\ sound (as in rouge and many other words on the list) in words from French is usually spelled with ou. Sometimes, however, it is spelled with u as in tutu and ecru. 9. When the \sh\ sound occurs at the end of a word from French, there is nearly always a silent e that follows it, as in quiche and gauche. 10. Words ending with an \äd\ sound are common in French. This sound is spelled ade as in fusillade. 11. French speakers have a number of vowels that English speakers modify in pronunciation. Our way of pronouncing the French aise (pronounced \ez\ in French) is usually \āz\. Eponyms: Study Words praline greengage quixote Fletcherism magnolia angstrom jeremiad yahoo boysenberry gardenia hector diesel hosta melba Geronimo bandersnatch poinsettia tantalize shrapnel Crusoe macadamia zinnia vulcanize mentor salmonella quisling Frankenstein Dracula newton begonia Boswell saxophone samaritan ampere tortoni